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Post by tinafea on Jun 18, 2014 11:14:08 GMT -5
Well my 2 cents are, the "He is no Freddie" is fine. Since Adam's said repeatedly he isn't trying to BE Freddie. And I would like to point out, and this is only a generalization, that there is a segment of Glamberts that quickly disparage other performers who sing a song that we consider "Adam's". There are several covers Adam has done, and also some of the Queen songs he's done that fall in that category. If it's ok for us to say "he/she is no Adam" regarding those performances, than it ought to be ok for others to say it about Adam. ( I am particularly thinking of Nate at iHR and ANYONE who sings Feeling Good  ) |
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Post by adamrocks on Jun 18, 2014 11:14:30 GMT -5
Good morning. Talon I just want to thank you again for your 'Queen fan perspective' and appreciate all the hard work and time you and Q3 do to give Queen information to us. I am really glad you are here with us. OMG! I will be leaving home tomorrow morning (really early (ugh)) to fly to Chicago for the concert and to see wonderful Atoppers and other Adam and Queen fans!! I'm not bringing my computer with me so I'll write my recap when I get back late Friday. Wish I could stay longer but it's not possible!! I can't wait to hear Love Kills in that arena tomorrow!! What an experience to all our senses this concert will give us!  Safe travels to all going to Chicago! ETA: I want to say thank you to some fellow Atoppers who helped me get tickets, room, and travel information on the Chicago transit system! If it wasn't for you guys I would never have pushed myself out of my comfort zone and gone to the concert! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and kindness! Thank you...thank you!  |
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Post by Craazyforadam on Jun 18, 2014 11:26:41 GMT -5
My $.02 on the "He's no/not Freddie but..." debate and being that I am an outsider (of sorts) who actually would say this, I feel I can offer up something different to the argument. It could be FAR worse....They could leave out that last word. He's no Freddie. He's no Freddie BUT indicates that Adam has passed a certain muster and while Freddie's take on his own songs can never be surpassed...they are HIS songs...Adam is doing a helluva job interpreting them. And furthermore....as much as Glamberts (and myself and some Queen fans) ARE enjoying the collaboration...I think most people would rather have Freddie with us still, creating, performing and singing...and Adam merely duetting with all four members of Queen.....Queen fans can't have Freddie...but Adam is doing a helluva job. :D I totally agree with Talon on this point, and with those who see "He's no Freddie BUT" as a disclaimer that certain Queen fans feel they must include to give Mercury the master his due before allowing themselves to praise Adam. I would add another BUT, though: Adam is a master showman and singer in his own right, and deserves to be recognized as such. It's funny. When I worked in the software world, no one expected version 2.0 of a program or app to be identical to version 1.0. 2.0 was always expected to be better than (or at least as good as) version 1.0. Think of Queen including Freddie as Queen 1.0. Since then, we've had versions with guest frontmen that have been like partial interim updates (Queen 1.1 = Queen with Paul Rodgers, for example) -- but not a full new incarnation of the band. I submit that Queen + Adam is Queen 2.0: a complete new reimagining of the band that melds the old "functionality" (Queen music catalog and Brian and Roger's superb musicianship) with a dynamic new driver (Adam's killer vocals and stage magic). One other thought. When I look at my two other favorite bands of all time, I realize how lucky we all are to see the emergence of Queen 2.0. I can't think of any musician out there right now who'd have the skills to stand in for Lennon or Harrison in a revived Beatles (even their sons wouldn't make the cut, though Dhani Harrison is George's physical clone). Same situation if you tried to substitute for Led Zep's Page and Plant. But Queen is fortunate enough to have brought on board a matchless artist whose like only comes around once a generation. Yes, Queen 2.0 is different from Queen 1.0. But the universe has blessed us by giving them to us to watch and listen to. Great post, Haribert. And of course Talon too. Yes, I agree. Mostly said to establish credibility and pay homage to Freddie. Just saying that Adam is fantastic, without that homage first, would make you sound, like some idol loony is talking, God forbid. lol. What I really like about Haribert's post is I think it is reaching further, as does the Grammy article, btw. This is not only about meeting the expected level for a post-Freddie Queen concert, as Queen probably did by singing with George Michael, Elton John, etc and also Paul Rogers. This is about taking it forward. Being creative again. Doing stuff that has not been done in ages or never. Adam, in his instinct for the visual, I think is doing something right here. He changes the color scheme, as we have heard. With that small change, he does something quite big actually and I hope it will look great. Add to that, that he will be in costume - a place that none of the others have dared to go to, and it is ballsy, actually, that he does that - and you get that feel of Queen 2.0 or Queen II, as I called it some time ago. Btw, here is where the costumes from idol, from GNT, etc., are paying forward. Adam is just being himself, if he dresses up for any tour. He gets away with it, because he has already established himself in that way visually, as an artist. He is bringing his dressed up self into the show. If Paul Rogers would have climbed into a costume, nobody would have bought it. But as things stand, Adam is able to enhance that new visual impression of what Queen looks like in 2014 by being himself. They are artistically moving forward in all areas, not only visually, they are creating something artistically new within the context of these concerts. And this is eventually also the path forward, to go beyond the 'He is no Freddie, but...'. The final step would be to create new material, and they'll cross that bridge, in due time. Right now, it is about doing exactly what that Grammy article has said. Creating a new 'incarnation of Queen'. That is what this iHeart concert has hinted at, and hopefully this tour will deliver. No Freddie imitator could ever achieve that, only someone who is strong enough to stand on his own feet and yet hold up to the expectations, is able to do that. And I think B&R know they finally found that, and that is why they are so excited about all this, and it shows. And we are excited too. It's almost here. |
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Post by Craazyforadam on Jun 18, 2014 11:41:24 GMT -5
Was not around to post much last few days, and just wanted to take a moment and say
Theosgma, you are very much in my thoughts and prayers and I hope you can join with us online a bit, to lift your spirits and hopefully carry some of the warm feelings shared here, with you, during these difficult days.
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Post by gabriella on Jun 18, 2014 11:53:37 GMT -5
Random thoughts:
1. Why does it bother me when Adam gets negatives comments or press? I think.......that I truly love this young man and like with my children I've become very protective of him. Silly I know he has parent.....but there it is.
2. I'm so impressed with how much Adam has grown and matured............the voice seems to me gets better and better, he no longer hides behind all the glitter and makeup and he has emerged as a confident yet humble man. I love the fact that he is a diva on stage but not in real life.
3. I would love to see an interview with the whole band..........a comment or two from Rufus, Neil or Spike would be great. I can dream that maybe Rufus who is too cute for words would join Adam's own band for A3.
4. After moving my 95 year old mother in with us who unfortunately has dementia........I want to thank all of you at Atop for giving me the opportunity to detach for even a few minutes from the daily trials my mom and I face. My mom constantly prays and says everything is a blessing and for me Atop truly is.
5. Can't wait for Thursday or I guess Friday really to hear all about the full concert. I am fortunate enough to be going to 2 concerts and I know it will be the highlight of my summer.
What a wonderful ride this has been and there is so much more to look forward to! Rock on.......Adam.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2014 11:57:20 GMT -5
Craazyforadam! I love your post above about how with Adam they are moving forward! The costume insight is absolutely right on! |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2014 12:00:52 GMT -5
I don't mind the "but he is no Freddie" if they have heard Adam. Music after all is subjective. When they have not heard Adam now that is a different story. When I picked up my little skull after he was worked over at the jewelry store, I was jumping with excitement exclaiming to all who would hear that I was going to see Queen and Adam. One man was actually quite rude about Adam with Queen, no no he said not with out Freddy, not the same. But he had not heard Adam, not even remembering him from Idol. so my response was you do not have a point of reference to compare, so you do not have a point. Then continued my conversation. Of three people there it was Adam 2 Freddie 1.
anecdotal evidence I know but of 4 conversations I have had while shopping for Vegas (hey any excuse to shop) they have been unanimous with excitement about Adam, and not just polite agreement so she will buy more. They had references, like did you see when he did this or that? Did you hear him when he sang this or that?
I really think Adam climbed the hill and is on the other side!!!
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Post by midwifespal on Jun 18, 2014 12:07:07 GMT -5
It's been an interesting read this morning. I myself have no issue with the "He's not Freddie, BUT…" line of argument, and rather appreciate any devout Queen fan capable of this logical transition, which seems to be a generous one at heart. And yes, tinafea, there is a notable irony to this whole debate, given how (occasionally absurdly) protective we can be as a fandom of Adam's "ownership" of certain songs--including songs he has pretty tangential "rights" to. Freddie's earned the right to "own" this music--whatever that means, maybe nothing--in a way Adam never will. However, I also tend to agree with those here who've suggested that if the line were consistently "he's NOT Freddie.." as opposed to "he's NO Freddie," we'd have a much happier bunch of Adam-fans on our hands. ("He's no Freddie" inevitably has a bit of a "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy" vibe to it.) While Adam is certainly "no Freddie" at this point in his career in terms of songwriting legacy, and may never be (few are), that hardly seems a relevant measure, here. Adam's not writing songs with Queen, he's singing and performing their material with them. As a singer and performer, he's patently NOT Freddie, but he clearly holds his own, talent wise. In that vein, I initially read a few recent posts about Queen 2.0 and the "new incarnation of Queen" with some misgivings--Adam's not part of a new Queen, he's very specifically part of Queen + AL, which I respect; his role is very clear, and it's one he's articulated clearly himself--to pay tribute to the old music, and to breath new life into it for a new audience. But then I thought about this Queen 2.0 way of thinking a little more, and it suddenly struck me that that was taking Brian and Roger and Queen and the whole enterprise of this tour much more seriously, and giving them much more respect. It seems to me that all along there've been two ways of thinking about this tour--as a legacy tour that gives the old songs one last, lovable spin round the planet, or as a legitimate current interpretation of great music that is a contemporary rock concert in its own right. This isn't Cirque de Soleil does the music of Michael Jackson--Queen (+AL) aren't "covering" their own music here--this is Queen performing its own fantastic hits in sometimes new and always fresh ways, including songs never before performed live. Whatever fans felt going to the shows in the 1970s, that's the same kind of experience myriads of new fans should be having now, unfiltered by the sepia glow of the past. And that's a pretty exciting way to think about it, whether you're a Queen fan or an Adam fan! ETA: and rereading I'm afraid I've maybe mostly repeated what others have already said, at more length (as is my way ). So sorry about that! |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2014 12:17:40 GMT -5
PoorPaul chunkeymonkey81He's gonna make that catwalk his bitch. He's gonna strut his sequined, bedazzled, leopard printed self all over it |
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Post by Kamar on Jun 18, 2014 12:20:10 GMT -5
Good question . . If the new singer tried to be a copycat , then , no , I wouldn't accept him. But if he was an avid fan of Adam's , and just wants to keep the legacy alive , and does the songs justice , then yes , why not ? Ahhhhhhh....but you wouldn't say....Such and such is no Adam but he does a pretty good job  I mean I've heard that a few times in here regarding other songs I would say that , of course ! BUT what I wouldn't do is hate the new singer and say Adam's music died the day he died . Music lives on forever . That's what I tried to say And hey , let the new generation listen to Adam's songs and then , out of curiosity , check out Adam's videos and stuff . And then , become Glamberts . I know that's what happened to me when Adam started singing with Queen . It actually introduced me to Freddie Mercury . |
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I mean I've heard that a few times in here regarding other songs